Category: Campus News

By: Gertrude Prosper

getrude2003@gmail.com

The Daystar University Students Association (DUSA) Secretary General Desmond Mwyne was summoned to appear at a hearing before the Congress on 18 October 2022 in Athi River, main campus.

The purpose was to address an offensive comment he posted on his social media, insulting D.U students. He was summoned by the council on multiple accounts of insulting students and solicitation of funds. In attendance were twenty-six members of Congress from both the main and Nairobi campus.

At the hearing chaired by the Speaker of the house, Evans Owino, Mwyne sat composed facing all members present. He was to explain in detail the use of the seven hundred thousand given to him by the finance manager to cater for the event.

“The money was spent on shirts, grounds, quality sound, a stage, food and buses and there were still some risk factors because we cannot scan loyalty”, he said. Without having brought receipts as proof, the council found his statement incomprehensive.

The Speaker then inquired who allowed the students to be charged sh.200 as an attendance fee and the S.G had the following to say. “I told the finance manager in front of my committee, by virtue that I don’t have the 900k I asked for the event, therefore for the 700k I will have to charge students, which she approved. We charged every student 200 each to meet certain expenses but still at the end of the event we had a debt of 55k.”

“We didn’t lock people out but the money we were allocated determined how many people would come,” Mwyne responded.

A dissatisfied student, Catherine, was in attendance as a witness. “I wasn’t very sure whether we were supposed to pay for the event, but after confirming with the SG I paid. Surprisingly, we were left by the bus and didn’t attend the event. I was shocked to hear the SG on the phone using vulgar language on us, saying “leave those people I don’t want unnecessary chaos” and yet he is the one who told us to pay”, she said.

The Speaker proceeded to read a screenshot of a conversation between a student inquiring about the event and Mwyne’s blatant rude response.

Forming beads of sweat on his nose and his hands unwillingly trembling, Mwyne accepted the impudent response to the inquisitive student but denied posting the above-quoted statement.

“We are living at a very crucial time where things are shared on the internet, and in the current era of so much information, therefore anyone can do that. I am a public figure and anyone can access my photos, therefore I never took those photos nor posted them though I saw them circulating”

The council is yet to decide on his fate.

BY HANNINGTON KINUTHIA

kinuthiahannington@gmail.com

A brutal knockout blow is finding its path to the faces of unwitting students within the institution through a possible increase in bus fares on school buses. With pace, the vicissitude is increasingly rearing its head into the school and making itself comfortable at the painful cost of the students. However, it can be argued from different angles what really might be the thought behind such a grisly conclusion.

At the national level, the hungry and unforgiving covid monster has left no one free from its vicious teeth. The monster has increasingly caused more harm than good in the nation -perhaps the unaffected, but in a very “unique” way could be those who were found guilty in the embezzlement of the covid-19 donated funds, danced their way to the banks with briefcases suffocated with unclean cash, amid a vulnerable nation where darkness was the candle. The pandemic has left many jobless across the country and others having their salaries slashed by more than half!

President Uhuru Kenyatta in his speech during Labor Day celebrations this year acknowledged that more than half a million Kenyans would lose their jobs during these dark times due to the pandemic invasion in the country. He stated the measures that his government and the public servants across the three branches of government have taken in trying to neutralize the situation by taking a salary pay cut. Sentiments that have remained to be utter dark speak, same archaic narratives, that have been narrated for years; that have now made the hapless youth take a temporary step back in engaging in this upcoming election.

The cost of living has rapidly and incessantly been going up daily as if it is being worked on resolutely to continue blowing up, from the cost of fuel which propels a bizarre conversation to the cost of food, surprisingly sh10 is slowly building on the route of losing value -sh5 is dead and buried! In a successive random conversation with one of the daystar bus drivers, driver Mulwa reiterated that the cost of living has challenged the normal operations in the transport industry. He recalled numerous incidents he had to refuel while on a journey he anticipated was going to be a success without a revisit to the gas station. The distance covered by the bus is gradually moving out from the bounds of an Sh150 sphere. Which assures all consumers of the service that the sad reality may soon be effective.

Currently, the school bus fare is at a sad sh150 and the consumer is struggling to locate space to breathe, upon the addition of a cent on the current sh150, it could be the last breath. An utter assassination of the ordinary folk. In a random census I conducted among students from the Main Campus who were taking their errands from the Nairobi campus, out of every 10 students, 7 relayed their disappointments and threw the kitchen sink to the DUSA government, the transport sector, and those in the upper echelon of not being considered when drafting policies, citing that the current sh150 is a burden preceded with hurled unprintable

The transport department may swiftly and hurriedly run away from the ruthless reaction upon the implementation of the idea from the students, and turn it to the general increased cost of living. In full realization, it is quite unthinkable to tighten up the nuts without a clear account of the reasons, and even with reasons, it can still be senseless to add fuel to the current fire, it makes one begin even doubting whether the interests of folks do ever cross their minds at any given time. Unlike the proverbial ostrich that burry its head into the ground, the school’s upper echelon and notable respective are regarded with dignity and of sound mind to jet in and salvage many from such a scenario -an increase of fare.

The Art of Seduction.

Lastly, as part and parcel of the distinguished liberal arts institution, which I veritably take pride to be a member, sometimes the struggle to understand the coordination and running of usual activities in school, continues to fatten my mind. Vehemently, I pose to disagree with any sort of increment on the school’s bus cost, the bus is getting heavier daily. The art of seduction, a book by Robert Greene perhaps in the most minimal chance could be the only way of a positive response to the idea by echelons. Robert talks about the art of patience in the quest for change, in this case. Anti-seducers are described as brutes. No patience whatsoever, but jump the seduction and offend with egotism.

BY HANNINGTON KINUTHIA

kinuthiahannington@gmail.com

A colorful and electric launch event beamed the corridors of Daystar University Nairobi Campus after the long-awaited launch of the Daystar Innovation Hub. Very well designed, the school’s auditorium held the extravaganza. I-HUB is here to foster innovation and creativity among the Daystar community and beyond. It’s an opportunity for young people to place ideas on the table that will make a difference, solve a problem and in the long run of it all, earn you money!

I-HUB, an 18-member team, inclusive of DUSA President Walter, had a handful of their members appear on stage. The members shocked the audiences with mind-blowing ideas and strategies each had at the back of their heads for solving an identified problem.

Nairobi Campus principal and professor school of business and economics, Prof. Michael Bowen preceded with a splendid lively unison performance of the National Anthem, East African Anthem, and our beautiful Daystar Anthem by attendees, approached the podium to site his welcoming remarks and a word for the I-HUB launch. He recognized the presence of Irene Githenji, the chief guest (Program Manager Education Engagements- Microsoft Africa Development Centre), David Onundu (SME and Women in Business Specialist- ABSA Bank), James Ndoto ( Founder and CEO Mijinitech Ltd), Startinev Group, Guuru Energy, Timothy Gachucha ( Head of Strategic Partnerships, Young Investors Africa) Grace Wangeci ( Co-Founder and CEO, Meta G Academy and Agency), Sisule Musungu ( Managing Partner, Sisule and Associates LLP), the DUSA president Nalwa Walter, and the I-HUB team.

Prof. Bowen encouraged learners to understand the path to success is a rough and rocky one, failure is part of the journey, and one should expect to stumble, however, in the quest for greatness, giving up is not an option. In encouraging students, he urged them to engage in the club and stretch their mental muscles to be their leading generation of income in this new digital era. Taking in too much social media is hazardous to the brain. It makes the thinking organ unable to be a thinking space because it resides in fantasy. Bravely, he encouraged all to exercise their democratic rights in the nearing August 9th Polls and elect leaders of sober minds.

IHUB President gave a brief remark on what Innovation entails, also expressing her satisfaction with having the speakers present, for they will have a long-term impact on the club members upon the delivery of their speech.

DUSA President Nalwa Walter relayed his support to the birthed club, I-HUB. Mr. Nalwa encouraged students from both campuses of the distinguished liberal arts school to actively and seriously take part in school clubs formed like the I-HUB. He urged the students to find a gap and try to fill in the gap- solving a problem. Whether in school or outside school. Being the game changer.

Dr. Munyao stood in for Dr. Caroline Ayuya I-HUB patron. He said innovation is relevant for change in the world. It is a way of life about the world’s rapid evolution. increasingly, ideas are birthed in the university, a quote from Steven Jones he mentioned carried the day “Innovation does not come just from giving people incentives it comes from creating environments where their ideas can connect”. Mobile banking, app developments- for collaboration purposes-, and the covid-19 testing among many are the notable innovations present in our country that are making a difference.

The keynote speaker Ms. Irene Githenji gave her remarkable life-changing remarks to the audience on innovation. She talked about how her group at Microsoft looks to foster ideas. She addressed the Microsoft garage where they ask students to jet in and create with their ideas. The idea to use the word “garage” was concerning Apple’s Steve Jobs and Microsoft’s Bill gates whose ideas were both formed while they were in a garage. She mentioned on having a growth mindset, is finding ways to deal with obstacles in life without them hindering your progress. Efforts from Africa Development to support academia and institutions are through platforms such as Hackathon- for purposes of building a technology portfolio for the students. A Framework workshop garage which helps one on how to ideate. According to Githenji, the group also looks forward to technical skilling for the untrained- giving training and certification vouchers for the learner. Microsoft also looks to get one with resources to have you started through the Microsoft startup hub -cost-free. Partnerships too, are also to grow talent and work together.

A panel moderated by Israel Lugadiru was engaged and also gave light to the Daystar Innovation Hub on what they needed to know in the field of innovation.

By Hilda Kavai

(hildakavia191095@daystar.ac.ke)

There has been a noticeable change in recent months in where students on the valley road campus purchase their snacks and meals. Students now prefer Kenzip over the once-popular Sironi restaurant, which is a shell of what it once was.

Some of the reasons are that Kenzip has some unusual additions such as chicken wrappers, chicken pieces, and fresh juices. Its location is ideal for students because it is close to the freedom corner which has a good sitting area.

In the restaurant business, happy customers return and provide word of mouth to their friends. According to studies, restaurants that attract repeat business share six key characteristics; good food and service, consistency in both , diverse menu , a good price to value ratio, a pleasant ambience and cleanliness.

Food quality is also important from a business aspect. The standard of service you provide will shape your restaurant’s reputation and image in the community. Improving your menu can breathe new life into your business and bring in new, loyal consumers.

“A good cook understands your customers’ needs and works closely with the kitchen staff to guarantee that their dish is prepared just how they requested. Also the staff that engage with your customers should be courteous and have a positive attitude. The owner efficiently controls the business, increasing the likelihood that it can provide great food and service without interruption. We must manage our restaurant’s finances, keep accurate records, and stay up to date on legal requirements such as taxes and health inspections.”

When it comes to eateries, price is important. When choosing a place to have a meal, opt for one that offers good value for money. This option does not imply being cheap, but rather getting the best value for your money. You are satisfied with the results.

By Sophie Murithi

(sophiechloe044@gmail.com)

The event was held in Valley Road campus on 10 June 2022 at DAC auditorium to interview and recruit more than 50 students/graduates for internships and jobs.

The event kicked off as from 9:00am to 4:00pm

Many students turned up in large numbers both from Athi and Valley Road campuses. Keynote speakers included Chinthana Thanthirige from Mas intimates, Rose Wanjohi from Royal Media Services, Cynthia Nabwire and Amaris Bii from Talent Soko, Phancy Maina from Brighter Monday and Christine Mweteeli from Soft Skills limited. They emphasized on students not just sitting in class and studying alone, but also learning other skills aside from what they are taught in class as well as participating in extra-curricular activities.

Nita Kihiro the acting placement and international relations officer was responsible for the event. During an interview with her, she had the following to say. “I am very happy with the turnout in today’s career fair. The other days we usually don’t have many students coming in for these kinds of events but today’s event has been a success. I hope that students continue coming in for the ones in the near future.”

Joel Mumo a communication student served in the placement committee in charge of public relations and branding. He was as well the master of ceremony and during an interview with him, he had the following to say, “the main focus for today’s event was to provide opportunities for students and to bridge the gap between the industry and the school for them not to struggle when it comes to getting internships or even jobs.”

Alice, an alumnus of DU, who also works with Brighter Monday spent the day beside her colleagues helping students correct their CVs and answering their questions. She advised students to obey rules and regulations since they help and prepare us for the future although we may not see it right now. She as well added and said the culture activated in school usually helps us in the organizations we join in future and most recommend students from Daystar.

“I have learnt a lot from this event and actually didn’t know there are professionals who review CVs,” a continuing student from Valley road campus said. “I learnt about this event from the school email and I urge other students to avail themselves when these opportunities arise,” she added.

The next event for this year will be held in early November and will be a Career fare mainly for the graduating class but everybody will be invited having their Curriculum Vitae’s along for them to be reviewed so that they can get jobs.

By Evelyne Syombua

The Daystar University Students Association Congress held its first sitting at the Main Campus, Athi River, on 26 May 2022, three months after they were elected. Their first sitting comes three months earlier than the 2021/2022 Congress’s first sitting, which was held on July 28, 2021.

The Associate Dean, Madam Susan Mbotto, DUSA President Walter Nalwa, Secretary-General Desmond Wyne, the Daystar Christian Fellowship (DCF) James Mburu, and Congress members were present for the sitting.

The DUSA President Walter Nalwa urged the Congress to work hand in hand with the DUSA Council to serve the students, “To serve students effectively, we need to work together. Listen to understand, and communication should be effective between the two arms. “

The main agendas of the sitting were the introduction of the Congress Members to one another, calling the house to order, coming up with a calendar of events for the Congress to aid in the budget proposal, which was captured in the first session, and consultations on the DUSA Congress Budget which will cover the DUSA Constitution Review Process which was discussed in the second session.

When addressing the house, the DUSA Congress Speaker, Evans Owino, urged the Congress members to start serving as they were elected to do so, “Politics are over, and now it is time to work. As we come up with our calendar of events, as congress members, you should also come up with a calendar of events for your respective schools. ”

“Most offices in the school administration requested a new document of the DUSA Constitution to provide answers to the loopholes in the current DUSA Constitution. This is why we need a Constitution Review. We want a constitution that is student-centered, “said Evans.

He went on to add that this will help outline how to go about key electoral issues, especially after what happened between the just concluded elections last semester.

“We need to understand the procedure, have the committee in place, and give them a timeline to enable us to meet our goal, “commented Congress Woman School of Arts and Social Sciences Sharon Odoyo.

The Constitution Review Process will include public participation where students will be involved, and their opinions will be considered in the review. This will then be followed by popular voting.

“Most of us are not in touch with the current constitution, and we need to go through it and understand it. This will help us know why we need the constitution review. With this, we will be able to help students easily and make our leadership easy. Understanding the process is crucial, “said the Deputy Speaker Flavian Muthaura representing the School of Applied Human Sciences.

The speaker read the procedure of a constitution review to the Congress Members as stipulated in the current DUSA Constitution.

Presented with a dilemma of when to set the Congress DUSA budget since, as stipulated in the current DUSA Constitution, a special sitting communication is to be communicated seven days before the sitting and the needed to come up with a budget to forward to the DUSA treasurer before 1 June 2022, opened the house for suggestions from the Congress Members.

“Let us read the constitution first and understand it before we come up with the budget since we need the committee to allocate funds to facilitate the review. This will help us know how many people we need in the committee,” said Congress Man School of Science Eugene Okanda.

After a discussion, the congress members agreed to have an online meeting on 28 May to discuss further the budget and constitution review for them to meet the 1 June 2022 deadline for submitting the Congress Budget.

Secretary-General Desmond urged the Congress Members to work in unity with the DUSA Council and to ensure respect is maintained among them.

The speaker adjourned the sitting with the next one yet to be scheduled.

By Lewis Njeri

gichunjilewis2@gmail.com

The DUSA congress elections were held on Wednesday 6 April 2022 in Athi River Campus at the PAC and Nairobi Campus outside the DAC.

The elections exercise kicked off as from 8:40am to 5:00pm at the Athi river campus.

A student ID was required for students to participate in the exercise and only students who are in session for the January semester were allowed to vote. This was a challenge considering the ECD had a list that only had students registered for this semester and some who wanted to vote did not find their names on the list form the University Registrar.

During an interview with the Electoral Commission of Daystar (ECD) Chief Executive Officer Peter Sidika had the following to say; “The election process started off very well with a good turn up to exercise the voting right including students who have completed their hours but not yet graduated, in addition students are supposed to vote from their various campuses in order to avoid students voting twice.”

He went ahead to add that the rule of having only students registered for January semester voting was equivalent to the one where the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) , uses where they only need Kenyans registered as voters to vote. Students were allowed to vote from their respective campuses to avoid confusion.

The turn out from students in different schools was in large numbers.

According to Immaculate Chebet, the Vice chairperson ECD said that the voter turnout was good. “Students started coming to vote as soon as they finished classes with others turning up as early as from 8:40 am. The counting will take place in the presence of all ECD officials and each aspirant having their representatives then results will be approved after counting,’’ said Immaculate.

Counting of votes  for Athi river campus was done at the senate room as from 5:00pm. Students and representatives of the aspirants were present to assure the aspirants the counting was fair.

The counting process was done at DAC  in Nairobi Campus.

Speaking to a sample of 15 random students, Involvement Newspaper gathered the following, 3 students stated they would not participate in the election process since they felt there were no competent leaders, and their preferred candidates did not make it past the vetting level. The remaining 12 said they had fully participated in the voting process.

The DUSA council elections will be held on 7 April at the Nairobi Campus. The elected Congress members will elect the DUSA council, with results being announced on the same day.